Friday, January 30, 2009

I love electricity!

We finally lost our power. It went off Wednesday evening about 5:30 as Danny was going to work. He went out to the garage and came back, saying he couldn't leave us alone with no electricity in the bad weather. He ended up taking off the rest of the week. Our power just came back on this afternoon. We only had school on Monday. Nothing has melted, it is still snow and ice everywhere. We'll get out this weekend to stock back up because another snowstorm is predicted for the beginning of next week. The electric came back on about 2:00 this afternoon (Fri).

We used our gas heater (normally we heat with an electric heat pump) and blocked off the kids rooms and the back room with our computer. The kids had fun sleeping in their sleeping bags in the living room. I cooked on a campstove. Thankfully we have a small generator that we used to keep the refrigerator running, watched tv, and used one lamp. We don't have any water when our electricity is out, so we used water we had in jugs in anticipation of the storm, and Danny got water from a spring in the woods to flush the toilet. I warmed up water to wash everyone off with. As soon as the electricity came back on today I took a bath and washed my hair. I did dishes and laundry very happily. There are still thousands without power and it's going to be in the teens tonight.

Chloe and I worked puzzles and we played games. The kids played with their Nintendo DSs and we charged them using the generator's power. They got a little wild in the evenings, but were good over all. Owen worked Legos and they could still watch cartoons. Phoebe played with Chloe and Owen and we read books and played with her toys. She couldn't quite understand it all. The first night around 9:00, she went over to the lamp to turn it on. When I took her to the bathroom, she'd say "I can't see anything in here!". She tried to watch a movie and kept saying "I can't push play!".

It's easy to take it for granted, but I am so happy about the electricity tonight!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Snow, Ice, and Rain

I still have electricity, hooray! Mom and Dad don't, and I hope we can keep ours on. Almost half of our county is without power. Danny is making it to and from work okay, but he worries me to death. Thank goodness for his four wheel drive, but he had a hard time getting up our hill this morning. I've been saying lots of prayers and Owen says that God is listening because we still have power.

Here are a few pics of the ice this morning but this is when it was pouring the rain so some of the ice had melted off. It's still icy and the snow has started now, and I guess the temperature is supposed to drop and give us snow and a refreeze tonight. At least the kids haven't had to go to school. If Danny didn't have to go to work, I'd be happy.








Updating with pictures a few hours later, with the snow on top of the ice.






Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Winter Storm

Much to the kids delight, we are in the middle of a winter storm. We have 6 inches of snow right now, and are getting freezing rain now with more ice to come, and then more snow tomorrow. I like the snow, but ice is scary. I hope we don't lose our electricity. In 2003 we had a terrible ice storm and didn't have power for 10 days. We could hear trees snapping everywhere. It was so surreal. I was pregnant with Owen and ended up in the hospital (with what turned out to be a urinary tract infection) one night. They hooked me up to the non stress test where I laid in a warm bed watching tv. I so wanted to be admitted. :) We stayed most of those ten days with my parents, who had no power, but at least had water and a couple gas heaters. Danny had to use a chain saw and cut trees out of our road just to get us to Mom and Dad's a couple miles away. The whole time trees and limbs and power lines were just snapping. Dad warmed us water on the grill outside and we cooked on the grill and a campstove. We had plenty of food and ate lots because we had to eat what was in the fridge or freezers, or lose it all. We worked several puzzles. Chloe had a blast and said she was like Laura from Little House on the Praire. We've since put in a small gas heater but haven't had to use it. We have a small generator now too, or if all else fails we could stay in the camper until it's gas ran out. But, hopefully it won't come to that!

Here are some pictures from this morning.





Monday, January 26, 2009

Cute and easy valentines

I love Valentine's Day. The kids have already bought their boxes of valentines. At school we aren't allowed to give out candy. We can't even bring in the snack for the parties anymore (it's provided by the school). Chloe's 2nd grade year was the last year of fun. So last year I made these bananas for the class. I cut out hearts and wrote "I'm bananas over you, Valentine!", and tied them to the bananas. I plan to do that again this year.





Another cute idea for teachers (or grandparents, friends, etc.) is to put some hot chocolate mix in a mug and attach a heart that says "You warm my heart" or you could say "I'm cocoa over you".

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Good Morning

Phoebe has been up for ten minutes and has already been so cute. When she came in to where I was on the computer she said, "I waked up". A couple minutes later I asked if she wanted to go to Sunday School today and she said "In just a minute". Just now I asked if she wanted some oats for breakfast and she said "Yes. Thanks m'am.". It's shaping up to be a good day.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

She's learned something new

Phoebe's new thing is to shred paper. Into strips. All over the place. Maybe she's started doing this since all the scissors have disappeared.

This evening she made me glad we never have company. I was in Owen's room reading to him and she came in his room putting an Always pad in her underwear. You never know what she'll do next.

Another girl in the bed

Our bedroom has a revolving door at night. Most nights Phoebe and Owen wander in at some point in the night/early morning. Occasionally Chloe will too. Now Molly, the dog, has started sleeping in our bed. It's kind of cute really. She seems like part of the family now. We took her to the vet to have her stitches out yesterday (from being spayed a couple weeks ago), and she was very good at the vet. On the way home though she puked on me. She gets carsick. Thankfully I'd put an old blanket over my legs just incase. It's just like another kid. Here she is right after getting her hair cut a couple weeks ago.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

A Chloe memory

When Chloe was little my grandma brought her a little gift. I think it was for her birthday. Grandma tends to give an odd mix of gifts. One thing in the gift bag was a plastic bowl. Chloe lifted it out and said in an excited voice, "She got me an offering plate!". We still call that bowl the offering plate. She was getting it out the other day and I took her picture with it so I could remember her saying that.





I'm not sure exactly how old Chloe was when she got the offering plate, but probably around Owen's age. Here she is when she was 5:



How time flies!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

They are growing on me

The bangs are growing on me. Her hair stays out of her eyes, so that's a plus. It was a struggle to keep her hair out of her eyes when she didn't have bangs. She had to wear it pulled back all the time, even at night. She looks older, and so different. I just keep looking at her.








She's been pretty funny lately too. A little while ago she tore a page out of my new magazine. I told her that wasn't nice and not to do that again. She made a sympathetic face and said, "Mommy. Give me a hug." and held out her arms.

Yesterday I was doing Wii Fit and she told me to do the penguin game (she laughs hysterically when I do it). At the end the penguin flaps it's wings. I told her to flap her arms like a penguin and she said, "I'm not a penguin". I asked what she was and she said "A princess".

Danny had the plunger out yesterday because we've been having trouble getting our bathroom sink to drain. He left it in the bathroom and Phoebe saw it.
P: What is that?
J: A plunger to make the water go down in the sink.
P: Oh. (pause) Can I use it?
J: No.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The new do

Well, here is Phoebe with her new hairdo. She pretty much cut the bangs herself, I just trimmed up some longer wisps of hair that was left. I still am pulling back a little of what she cut so the bangs aren't so thick. I'm still sad about it, but it's just hair.



New Kid

A conversation yesterday evening with Owen:

O: We have a new kid in our class.

Me: You do? What's their name?

O: It's name is Brianna. Another Brianna.

Me: Is she a nice girl?

O: Yep, she's pretty good. She hasn't hurt anyone.

Me: Well, that's good.

O: She's pretty cute too.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

She cut her hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm just sick over it. The girls were in the living room and I was in the bathroom when I here Chloe scream for me. It was the kind of scream that means business. I ran in and Chloe cries, "Phoebe cut her hair!". Chloe had little scissors for school in her purse , and Phoebe just got them out and whacked off the front of her hair. Phoebe got upset when she saw that Chloe and I were upset, and she was upset because she knew what she did was wrong. It's like she now has bangs but they are cut way back. I just pulled it all up in a little ponytail like we usually do, but it will be a pain to grow out. I thought about cutting it even and giving her bangs, but I hate the thought of that, plus they are cut so far back, some of it would have to be pulled or clipped back anyway.

I know most every child cuts their hair, but I just really hate it. I liked Phoebe's hair and it was growing so long and pretty. It will be so terrible growing it out. But there are worse problems, so I need to get a grip.

I took a few pictures, but she looks so pitiful. I will take some tomorrow and add to this. I saved the hair for her baby book. She's never even had her hair trimmed before. ~sigh~

Monday, January 12, 2009

Got milk?

Some of you may remember me saying Phoebe has a small obsession. With milk. She loves it. It makes her giddy. Sometimes she claps when I put it in the cart at the store. I buy four gallon a week (for all of us, but she drinks a large part of it). Sometimes she'll drink water, but mostly milk. At night she usually wakes up once and asks for milk. She drinks it and goes right back to sleep. I got tired of getting up in the night and getting her milk (though I had the cup poured and ready in the fridge), so I started taking a small cooler to bed with me. It's the same one I take with me when we go somewhere, because she has to have her milk. Last night she asked for her milk at some point and I handed it to her. She drank it and went back to sleep. Then around 5:00 Chloe came in and wanted me to go with her to the bathroom. I did and then she got back in her bed, and I got back in ours. Phoebe was there too (she starts in her bed but ends up in our bed in the night) and I must have disturbed her getting back in bed. So, she asks for more milk. I told her it was gone and we'd get some in the morning. In a whiney, sleepy voice she said "Don't make me mad, Mama". Danny got up and got her milk.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Phoebe singing

Phoebe likes to sing. She often mixes a couple songs together, like she'll start singing Mary Had a Little Lamb, but end it with Row Row Row Your Boat. I tried to get a video of her singing, but she was distracted by her beloved Emma, her favorite, now scruffy, doll. She still sang a little for me. At the end I tell her bye so I can turn off the camera, and she gets a concerned look on her face like she thinks I'm going somewhere. So, here's the singing debut of Miss Phoebe.


Thursday, January 8, 2009

Who needs a sled?

We had a snow day today and school was closed. Not a whole lot of snow, but it snowed early this morning and made the roads slick. We had fun playing outside.

Here are a few videos. One of Owen flying through the air, and a couple of Phoebe sliding down the hill. (Sorry the videos are sideways, I forgot I shouldn't turn the camera while taking a video.)







Face your fears? Or not?

Sometimes I think I'm a bit too easy on my children. But then I change my mind and think no, I just love them. When Danny used to say I was spoiling them as babies, I'd always say no, I was loving them. He usually agreed. I bring this up because of one of Owen's fears. He is afraid of a lot of things, it's just his nature. He's a worrier like his Daddy. He doesn't like to ride the bus without Chloe. She makes him feel safe. This is after all his first year of school of any sort. He's excelling in Kindergarten. He just got Student of the Month again and he does great on his work, and enjoys his new friends and the new experiences. Owen gets in bus line before Chloe and when she gets there she says sometimes he kisses her because he's so happy to see her.

Chloe is in the All County Choir and they have just started having two practices a week after school, on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the rest of this month. This means Chloe won't ride the bus home after school, I'll have to pick her up after practice. I don't want to stress Owen out and make him worry (which he would do all day long and be completely miserable), so I go pick Owen up at 3:00 and bring him home, then I go pick Chloe up at 4:30. It's a 15 minute drive to the school. I'm sure some probably think I should make him face his fear and ride the bus alone. I just can't. I don't want him to be unhappy when I can avoid it. It's something I have control over.

Over Halloween a 4th grade teacher at the school had a very scary Halloween monster hanging outside of her room. It was like a real figure hanging down, not a piece of a paper taped to the wall. Owen was terrified of it, and it was pretty ugly. It had no place at school if you ask me. His class used the bathroom outside of her classroom every day after recess. I asked the teacher nicely if she could please move the monster inside of her classroom because my five year old was scared of it. He even cried and didn't want to go to school because of it, and he likes school. She refused to take it down. She said he should face his fears. I thought that was very insensitive. He's five for goodness sake. I am afraid of storms but I don't go outside and stand in one to face my fear. I don't like heights but I don't climb up to the top of a skyscraper. The teacher's aide from Owen's class took him to a different bathroom until Halloween was over and she took the darn thing down.

I can't help it, I will do all that I can to make my children happy. They have enough stress. I will take away every scary thing I can for them. I know I can't do everything for them, but I'll darn well try.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Dante grew wings

Today Dante went to heaven where his body is healthy and his sickness is over. A happier time for him, but a heartbreaking time for his family. Please say a prayer for his parents, Jo and Tony.


Phoeber Weeber

Phoebe was so sweet yesterday and said so many sweet things I can't remember. When we were eating breakfast she pushed her sleeves up because I always push her sleeves up when she eats. After a minute she said "See my sleeves pushed up like this? Push yours up". So I did and she said "Great, Mommy!".

Yesterday evening she wanted to eat some chips and salsa with Chloe. She ate a little bit and then ran to the bathroom. Danny went to check on her and she was brushing her teeth. He asked her why she was doing that and she said, "My teeth are hot". The salsa was mild, but too hot for her I guess.

She is Miss Independent all the time and wants to do everything herself. She alway says "I can do it. I a big girl!". She insists on dressing herself, putting on her shoes, putting on her coat, buckling her seatbelt, etc. Totally the opposite of Owen who would still like me to do all those things for him.

She looks at things in catalogs, or at the store when the others aren't with us, and will say, "Chloe will like that, won't she?" or "Owen would like that, wouldn't he?".

She was eating soup with me over the weekend and it was different soup than we normally eat (Progesso Vegetable Barley). She was eating it and liking it but she got a piece of celery on her spoon and said "What's this on my spoon?". I told her celery and she just said "Oh" and ate it. She did that again with a piece of tomato.

She has to kiss and hug everyone before she goes to sleep and before someone leaves. If after the kiss someone forgets, she says, "And a hug!". I'll take lots of those sweet kisses and hugs!


Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year!!!!

It's always so exciting to start a brand new year, with high hopes for the next 365 days. It's like a fresh start to living and being better. For New Year's Eve, we made pizzas, watched a movie, and then finally watched the ball drop. Then we all dropped into bed. The kids even made it up until midnight. They counted down the last 20 seconds, then blew their horns and we had kisses all around.

Here the kids are with masks we made. Doesn't Chloe look thrilled? Thankfully, her attitude improved as the evening went on.



The boys settled in for the movie:



The girls:



Right after midnight wishing the dog Happy New Year:



Molly:



It was a fun evening. Not exciting as a New Year's Eve party or anything, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.